The Saturday gone by, November 19, was International Men’s Day, but, with the entire world’s focus now shifted on women and the gender bias they face, the day just floated by. Google also did not bother to reciprocate with a special doodle on its homepage; perhaps the culprit is the weekend. In honour of men in India, however, one brand took upon the onus of celebrating the day.

HE, Emami’s deodorant brand for men, rolled out an interesting initiative on digital, along with digital agency WAT Consult and videos conceived and developed by Orchard Advertising of the Leo Burnett Group. HE got us all to take this day to remember how important men are to society, especially to their ‘bros’, the male friends they share a unique bond with, not to be confused with ‘brother,’ but sometimes could be your real brother.

On a sacred day like this, HE got men to acknowledge the ‘bros’ in their life, celebrate the distinctive bond of brotherhood they shared and the unique rules tying up this bond, by pledging their allegiance to the ultimate, ‘HE Bro Code.’

An anthem is at the heart of the code, the lyrics set in ‘hinglish’ help in defining the best of bros: the one who fakes a heart attack to save you from the cops, the one who gets his chaddi torn for his buddy, the one who has no eyes for your crush, the one who covers for you, no matter what.

The men’s brand has also launched a dedicated microsite, where one can pledge their allegiance to the ‘Bro Code’ after logging through their Facebook profile. One needs to record a video about their bro code, starting and ending with a fist bump on the front camera of their smartphone. This way the code will live forever!

#HEBroCode has been defined as a noun which means ‘unspoken rules se bana unbreakable bond.’ The microsite houses all the user submitted videos, giving you an idea of the best bro, while making for a fun watch. Popular youth celebrities like Rannvijay Singha, Varun Sood, Karan Kundra and Prince Narula have also contributed with their bro code videos.

The brand has leveraged its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram properties to spread the word and get more men to share their bro code videos. Illustrations defining who a bro is, have been shared along with the HE Bro Code song. Additionally, the celebrities who are also youth influencers on social media, are helping in amplifying the brand message.

A photo posted by HE Be Interesting (@he_beinteresting) on Nov 19, 2016 at 1:36am PST

Bond with a bro, bond like a brand!

‘Bro’, is probably one bond that every man identifies with, the one relationship unlike anything he shares with his dad, mom or siblings, a ‘bro’ tugs at the deepest chord of every man’s heart. A men’s deodorant brand associating with bros and the significant roles they play in men’s lives is a smart move, especially in today’s fast paced age.

The video-driven execution enabled through a smartphone has made it open for all. Anyone can quickly record their bro code, to be a part of this celebration, and that is what is impressive about the simple execution process followed here to woo the young smartphone generation. The Bro Code song along with the visuals and the videos by the youth influencers has added further impetus to reach out to young men.

Last year, on Men’s day, the deodorant brand called upon women to ‘show men some love’. Do read: “HE Deo Calls Upon Women To #ShowMenSomeLove.” The campaign featured a jingle where women of all ages and personality types sing “Iss Men’s Day pe Teri Chutti!” The lighthearted lyrics affirmed that men are allowed to do whatever they pleased today, like snore in the middle of the night, or check out waitresses at the restaurant.

This year, HE has chosen a fun, lighthearted route again, however, the context has changed. It is safer and does not call for gender stereotyping from a brand. #HEBroCode has established the deo brand as the ‘deo for bros’, and sealed it with a dedicated anthem and user generated bro codes. Strategic digital marketing on International Men’s Day, armed with a cool concept and interesting content.